Armstrong stripped of tour titlesThe International body was acting on a report from the United States Anti-Doping Authority which blew the lid on Lance Armstrong and his "systematic doping".

The UCI has defended itself against accusations that it shouldn't have accepted gifts from the US cyclist.

But the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency, Australian, John Fahey. Says the UCI still has questions to answer.

The report by the USADA was damning. Lance Armstrong is no longer the winner of the Tour de France from 1999 to 2005. We want the list of prize winners of the Tour de France from those years to be left blank.

Now the Tour de France wants Lance Armstrong to pay back his prize money.

The biggest doping scandal in sports history will have ongoing ramifications, with world anti-doping boss John Fahey calling on the UCI to thoroughly examine their role in the debacle.

Armstrong himself is unlikely to give into widespread pleas that he admit to his cheating.

The legal and financial repercussions of a confession are too great for him.

But hours after the UCI endorsed the US Anti-Doping Agency's (USADA) lifetime ban on Monday night (AEDT), Armstrong removed a reference to winning seven Tour de France titles from 1999-2005 from his Twitter account.

Given so many of Armstrong's rivals were also doping during those Tours, the likely outcome is there will be no official winners.

Now that Armstrong's disgrace is official, the focus becomes what role the UCI played in his long-term doping program.

Fahey, the World Anti-Doping Agency president, warned the UCI that accepting the USADA ban was far from the end of the saga.

"It's not a question of simply saying we'll rule off the line and go on," Fahey told Fox Sports.

"They clearly have to take the blinkers off, look at the past, examine the people who are there, ask themselves the questions: `are those same people still in the sport and can they proceed forward with those people remaining?'.

"I don't think there's any credibility if they don't do that and I think they need to get confidence back into the sport so that its millions of supporters around the world will watch and support the sport going forward.

"Right now, if you were a cycling fan you'd say to yourself: `why bother?'".

Fahey gave a withering assessment of the sport, telling the ABC "everyone" doped during the Armstrong era.

Asked to clarify his comment, Fahey said: "The evidence that was given by those riders who are teammates of Lance Armstrong, one after the other, they said the same thing - that you could not compete unless you were doping."

Senior UCI officials will meet on Friday to discuss the fallout from the Armstrong case.

But Australian Mike Turtur, the UCI Oceania chief, shared the opinion of his president Pat McQuaid that there was no point digging up the past.

"It's an opportunity now for the sport to really start with a clean slate and then draw a line in the sand and say `from this point on, we're going to do all these things that will be in place to try to detect cheats in the sport and make it a better environment for everyone'," said Turtur, also the Tour Down Under race director.

Turtur pointed out that when Armstrong was at his peak, the UCI had far fewer anti-doping resources than they do now.

There is no question that since the Operation Puerto scandal in 2006, the UCI have adopted a much harder line.

But serious questions remain - for example, the circumstances surrounding Armstrong's donations to the UCI in the early 2000s.

Much of the focus is on Hein Verbruggen, McQuaid's predecessor and still the UCI honorary president.

"There have been accusations made against certain individuals who were part of the UCI in that era," Turtur said.

"But they are allegations just based on rumour, without any factual evidence.

"You have to be careful to start accusing people of being involved in any activity, based on just rumours.

"It's a dangerous territory to go into."

Turtur wants Armstrong to admit his wrongdoing, but says that is highly unlikely.

Already, Dallas insurance company SCA Promotions is demanding the return of millions of dollars in bonuses paid to Armstrong.

Lance Armstrong finally has confronted his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs during his cycling career, though he "did not come clean in the manner that I expected," talk show host Oprah Winfrey said a day after interviewing the disgraced athlete.

Armstrong, 41, has always vehemently denied using the drugs and had never tested positive in a doping test. But the evidence against him has been overwhelming and pressure has been building on him to admit that he cheated.

USA Today reported on Monday that Armstrong had confessed to the doping in the interview with Winfrey, which will air on Thursday and Friday on her OWN Network, and other media say they have confirmed the report.

In an appearance on CBS' This Morning show on Tuesday, Winfrey did not explicitly say that Armstrong had confessed during their interview, though she said the media had confirmed it. The interview will be aired in Australia on the Discovery Channel at 1pm (AEST)

"I think the most important questions and answers that people around the world have been waiting to hear were answered," Winfrey said of the interview, which occurred at a hotel in Austin, Texas, and lasted more than two hours.

"We were mesmerised and riveted by some of his answers," said Winfrey, who described Armstrong's demeanour as thoughtful and serious and at times emotional.

When asked why the American cyclist, who had his seven Tour de France titles stripped last year, agreed to the interview, Winfrey said: "I think he was just ready." She added that she would allow others to decide if he had shown contrition.

A cancer survivor who went on to become the greatest cyclist the world has seen, Armstrong's fall from grace has been as swift and spectacular as his rise through the French Alps.

While Armstrong was long dogged by accusations he cheated his way to the top, his rapid slide was ultimately triggered by an October report from the US anti-doping body USADA.

USADA exposed Armstrong as a liar and a cheat, describing him as the ringmaster of the "most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping program that sport has ever seen," involving anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, blood transfusions and other doping.

LEGAL PROBLEMS

Media reports of the interview with Winfrey have not identified which drugs he reportedly admitted using. Armstrong's lawyer and his spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the reports on Monday.

Armstrong, however, apologised on Monday to the staff of the cancer foundation he started over difficulties they may have experienced because of the doping controversy.

"It was a very sincere and heartfelt expression of regret over any stress that they've suffered over the course of the last few years as a result of the media attention," Livestrong Foundation spokeswoman Katherine McLane said on Monday.

CBS has reported that Armstrong indicated he might be willing to testify against others involved in illegal doping and was in talks about repaying part of the taxpayer money he earned during his career.

Former Armstrong teammates at his US Postal and Discovery Channel outfits, where he won his seven successive Tour de France titles from 1999 to 2005, testified against him as well as admitting to their own wrongdoing.

The mountain of evidence was overwhelming, and when Armstrong decided not to fight the charges against him, his Tour de France victories were quickly nullified. He was banned from cycling for life.

His sponsors, who had remained loyal to him, began deserting him and he stood down as chairman of Livestrong. Legal issues began to mount.

His former teammate Floyd Landis, a self-confessed cheat, filed a lawsuit against him for defrauding the U.S. government, while the London-based Sunday Times is suing Armstrong to recover about $500,000 it paid him to settle a libel lawsuit.

Armstrong could also be forced to pay back amounts including $US7.5 million to SCA Promotions, a Dallas-based company that paid him a bonus for his Tour de France wins.

Throughout it all, Armstrong remained silent, unrepentant and seemingly unconcerned as the cycling world was left reeling by the revelations. He agreed last week to the interview with Winfrey.

We all knew he was nothing more than a two bit drug cheat. & a conman & fraudster.

& now he has lost everything & he is being sued for all his prize money & sponsorship money he won. while also being the worlds biggest drug cheat. & bringing shame & hurt to all those unwitting puppets who trusted him.

All of a sudden, ........ Bam

he runs out of cash, & seeks to profit from his shame the only way he can. By charging huge amounts for exclusive T.V interviews & Trying to re-right history by spinning a sob story in the hopes it will make a good story & he can make a few extra bucks by selling the book rights & movie rights, to his pitiful & pathetic life story.

greeney2 wrote:The talk is the sport is so infiltrated with enhancing drugs, and it is so widespread its a mess, and that includes everyone including Australians.

Cept ....... Australia has a far cleaner record in sports & sport dopping than the USA could ever have ..... Just look a the 1 or two Australian's who have doped in their sporting career ...... ( both who were on lance Armstrong's team & turned him in ) because Lance forced his entire U.S postal service team mates to dope with him.

& now Lance Armstrong has come out & said the U.S authority & agency's forced him to dope.

So look at the Hundreds of U.S sporting cheats & dopers ...... ( U.S people who could not win in sports without drugs )

&

Compare to the Legacy of Australian sports where the 1-2 people who have used Drugs ......... Where all on U.S teams.

The USA has a worst history of doping & cheating in sports ........... then even the East Europeans or The Chinese.

Ill take Australia's record on doping in sports & Australia's sporting legacy over the USA's any day.

Good for you. It sounds like no country is without doping in the cycling sports and the Olypmics may drop it from the Olympics. If it were just the USA they would ban us, but they are considering the entire sport, which means everyone is out of control, including you.

greeney2 wrote:Good for you. It sounds like no country is without doping in the cycling sports and the Olypmics may drop it from the Olympics. If it were just the USA they would ban us, but they are considering the entire sport, which means everyone is out of control, including you.

If you say so .....

We have all heard the news reports & read the news print on how lance Armstrong has claimed that the International Cycling Union was in on his drug dealings & how lance Armstrong was just a victim in all this ...

The U.S propaganda might be saying that the entire cycling world is using drugs & therefore the entire cycling world might be to blame.

& as a result ... yes there is talk that Cycling might get dropped from the Olympics ....

But in the real world where U.S propaganda & scare tactics don't influence anybody ......

This is seen as Lance Armstrong crying over spilt milk, coz he has been exposed as a drug cheat & a fraud ...... & his U.S employers have also been shown for the cheats they are.

That now Lance Armstrong is being Sued by everybody .... & since Armstrong's place in history as one of the greatest cycling stars ever ..... has been replaced with a place in history as the worlds biggest drug cheat & fraudster, & Charity con man.

lance Armstrong is striped of his titles .... Sued for all sponsorship money's & winnings he earned from being a drug cheat ....... His tax free earnings from running a fake cancer charity is coming under investigation from around the world.

His reputation is as a joke, & history will remember Lance Armstrong as an athlete who could not win a race ... failed at cycling for years ...... & then used drugs & became the world worst & biggest Drug cheat & doper in sporting history.

Big Surprise .....

That Lance now takes a slash & burn approach to all those people who turned him in.

His ...... Im going down, so im going to take everybody with me mentality ...... is nothing more than a pathetic attempt to sell books & score a movie deal.

Big Surprise .....

That Lance Armstrong now seeks to destroy the reputations of everybody else in the sport too.All Because he is bitter & a sad sad man.

Ludicrous for Rath to suggest Australia is not riddled with its own doping in sports as well as cycling when you see this link regarding doping. The above link would not exist at all if Australia was not heavily involved with doping in all kinds of sports.

Give it a break Rath, you are the pot calling the kettle black with Armstrong.

Ludicrous for Rath to suggest Australia is not riddled with its own doping in sports as well as cycling when you see this link regarding doping. The above link would not exist at all if Australia was not heavily involved with doping in all kinds of sports.

Give it a break Rath, you are the pot calling the kettle black with Armstrong.

Australian sports is hardly riddled with drugs .....

Asada has put that out in light of the two Australian's who raced on Lance Armstrong team & where named as part of the US postal team, before they quite the team and testified against lance a few years back. ( because Lance Armstrong & team U.S postal forced them to dope. )

Lance & team postal had the attitude .... Dope or your fired. ( so the Aussies quit & turned them all in. )

& that's why Asada put out that statement last month. ( in light of the two Australian's who where on Armstrong's team )

Director of Orica-GreenEDGE Matt White, right, has stood down from the team after admitting doping Source: News Limited

FORMER pro racer Matt White has admitted to taking drugs during his time riding for Lance Armstrong's US Postal team.

The Australian has voluntarily stood down from his positions with Australia's road cycling team GreenEDGE and Cycling Australia.

“I am aware my name has been mentioned during talks that USADA has had with former team mates of mine in their investigation regarding doping activities at the US Postal Service team,” he said in a statement.

“I am sad to say that I was part of a team where doping formed part of the team's strategy, and I too was involved in that strategy.

“My involvement is something I am not proud of and I sincerely apologise to my fans, media, family and friends who trusted me and also to other athletes in my era that consciously chose not to dope.”

White, 38, has become the first Australian casualty from the US Anti-Doping Agency's damning 1000-page plus report on the US Postal team's doping regime.

The report claimed the team of seven-time Tour de France champion Armstrong conducted the “most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping program that sport has ever seen”.

The report contained the sworn testimony of 11 of Armstrong's former team-mates with disgraced Tour de France winner Floyd Landis stating he had shared testosterone and EPO with White.

“Given my admissions above, I have been in contact with my employees and will be voluntarily standing down from my positions with the national men's high performance program with Cycling Australia and as a sports director with GreenEDGE Cycling while inquiries into my case are conducted,” said White, who retired from riding with pro team Discovery Channel in 2007.

White rode for the US Postal team between 2001 and 2003 before that team took on Discovery Channel as principal sponsor.

He said he had not been involved in any doping in his roles at Cycling Australia and GreenEDGE.

“In my roles with Slipstream Sports, Cycling Australia and now at ORICA-GreenEDGE, I have always acted within the ethos of clean sport and I am very proud to have worked with the new generation of clean superstars,'' he said.

“A lot has changed for the better, cycling is totally different now, and I have seen these changes as an athlete and also in management with my own eyes in the last decade.”

Former Olympic cyclist White, from Sydney, had two spells riding with Armstrong, first with US Postal between 2001 and 2003, and he again rode with the Texan for two more years when the team morphed into Discovery Channel in 2006.

In related news, Johan Bruyneel, Armstrong's team manager on the American's seven Tour de France wins, has quit RadioShack Nissan after being implicated in the doping scandal, the team announced in a statement.

The Belgian-born, Spanish-based Bruyneel was Armstrong's team manager when the Texan won his Tours from 1999-2005 as well as during his two Tour rides in 2009 and 2010.

"The overwhelming evidence in this case is that Johan Bruyneel was intimately involved in all significant details of the US Postal team's doping program,'' the USADA report said.

As a team manager, Bruyneel also won the Tour of Spain twice with Spain's Roberto Heras in 2003 and Contador in 2008, as well as the Giro d'Italia twice with Italian Paolo Savoldelli in 2005 and Contador in 2008.

Radioshack, the team launched by Armstrong in 2010, became RadioShack Nissan Trek this season after merging with Luxembourg owner Flavio Becca's Leopard Trek outfit. Bruyneel is a part owner of the team.

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